Review: Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #3) by J.R. Ward

Buy:  Kindle Ebook  |  Paperback  |  Audio



Review

Arguably the most popular of all of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, and very worthy of that, Zsadist’s story is a heartbreakingly beautiful story of the redemptive power of love.

The coldest, hardest, and most sadistic of the Brotherhood, Zsadist holds himself away from the rest of his brothers. Scary looking, and covered in disfiguring scars, he does his job, and enjoys the killing, but he is mysterious, intimidating and incredibly misunderstood. Because of the vicious persona he puts on, people are generally too terrified to get close – even those living in the Mansion keep a wide distance from him, and he lives a solitary life, ignoring practically everybody except for his twin brother, Phury.

In the last book, Lover Eternal, we met Bella, a female vampire who was instantly enthralled by Zsadist, and the two of them shared an ‘interesting’ moment when she made it very clear she wanted him, and he completely freaked out. But Z demonstrates just how much Bella affected him when she is kidnapped by Lessers, and Z becomes obsessed with finding her.

In this book we get to see the heart-pounding moment when Z rescues Bella. Finding her horribly wounded and brutalised, his tender, caring and protective side comes out as he takes her in, guards her and nurses her back to health (in his gruff, warrior-like way), and it is absolutely GORGEOUS! I love seeing protective Zsadist. Even though he is still seriously effed up, he puts Bella first, and does all he can to help her heal.

Bella’s need for Zsadist is clear from the very beginning. He is all she wants, and she isn’t shy about letting him, and everybody else, know it. But as much as he may want to help her, his past issues are a constant burden on him. Z’s past history of blood slavery, torture and hideous abuse is told through both his and Phury’s flashbacks, and it is truly tragic. He has been so damaged by all that happened to him, and it is manifested in every single area of his life.

And this is why Bella is so awesome. She’s such a strong heroine – standing by her man, and staying true to her love for him, even when he does his best to push her away. She sees the beauty in him, is understanding, and accepts him for who he is, and she tries her hardest to pull him away from his past and give him a better life, never giving up on him. And the way the two of them work through everything is absolutely incredible. It’s very much a relationship of give and take. They both need each other, and they both give to each other, and the support and love that they share is gorgeous (and a whole heap of steamy – just… wow!). It’s not an easy ride, and there is struggle and heartbreak on both sides, but they do get their HEA, and it is magic!

And who knew that under that gruff, badass exterior, there is a soft and gentle male with a tender heart.

“She is more beautiful than I have words for. And last night, I was blessed beyond measure to serve her.”

*heart clench*

Also getting a look in in this book is Phury, who struggles right alongside his twin. I loved getting the story of their history, and that, as well as the development in their relationship, is absolutely amazing! Butch’s story is continued as he integrates even more into the Brotherhood, we met Rhevenge, Bella’s oh-so-smooth and protective older brother, and there are some big twists for both Tohr and John Matthew. Even though this was a reread, and I knew it was coming, I still fell to pieces on behalf of them both. OMG, so HORRIBLE!!!!. Of course there is the Lesser POV, but I didn’t mind it so much in this book, because it was tied in closely with the rest of the story, and it all worked.

The third book of the BDB series, this was the one that cemented me as a hard-core fan for life. Although this was a reread for me, I still adored every moment of this book.

5 sensational stars.

 

Check out our Black Dagger Brotherhood page for more info on the series.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *